Windlass



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS F. C. GOOD WINDLASS Jan. 30, 1962 Filed Jan. 28, 1958 BY A2M ..i/

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY 5 F. C. GOOD WINDLASS w G C d e r OH F fw l MN r. TlNH f r m m n lllrrlillliiic S Jan. 30, 1962 F. c. Goon 3,018,934

WINDLASS Filed Jan. 28, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 QQ) gli l\ mm (D @I l" i: Q l Q mvENToR Fr e d CLG ood BY @M2M ATTORNEYS United States Patent i 3,018,934 WINDLASS Fred C. Good, Cheltenham, Pa., assigner to Fred C.

Good & Sons, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., acm-poration of Pennsylvania Filed Jan. 28, 1958, Ser. No. 711,705 6 Claims. (Cl. 226-171) This invention relates to power driven windlasses and more particularly to windlasses for nautical use designed primarily for anchor line and/ or chain handling for boats in the so-ca'lled pleasure craft range of sizes.

The apparatus of the present invention comprises `an improvement over the appartus shown in my prior Iapplication SJN. 664,774, filed lune 10, 1957, now Pat. No. 2,875,890, in that with the apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to handle heavier loads wtihout increasing the overall size of the apparatus.

A-s is the case with the apparatus shown in my prior application above referred to, the present apparatus is designed for ,mounting preferably onV the forward deck of a small boat and may be operated entirely from the pilot house or cockpit of the boat without the necessity of having to venture out on a wet and therefore slippery deck in bad weather in order to either raise or lower the ships anchor.

It is therefore the principal object of the present invention to provide a small, compact windlass, primarily for use on boats in the pleasure craft range of sizes.

A further object of the present invention is to incorporate in :apparatus of this type an adjustment feature which permits a mechanical setting of the exact tractive force which can be exerted on the anchor line without slippage between the line and the tractive means.

Other objects of the present Vinvention will be apparent from a consideration of the Ifollowing detailed specification when read in conjunction with the attached sheets of drawing in which:

FIG. l is a side view partially in section of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of .the apparatus shown in FIG. l, and

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the base plate of the housing shown in l'FlGS. .1 and 2.

In general, the objects of the present invention are achieved by providing within a compact housing suitable for attachment to the deck of a small boat, `a positively driven drum over which the line trains in combination with a positively driven chain which contacts the upper surface of the line where it goes around the drum in order to exert a tractive force on the line between the chain and the drum `sufficient to raise an anchor.

Referring rst to FIG. l, it will be seen that the housing includes an upper hollow portion 10, and a base plate 11. FIG. 3 shows the lbase plate l11 in a top plan view. In the lower part of the upper half of the housing at the forward end thereof there is formed an entry port 12 for the anchor line. In the base plate 11, a similar port is formed as an exit port for the line and is designated by the reference numeral 13. In the conventional installation, the exit port 13 is aligned with a deck opening which leads to a line storage or chain locker.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 for a description of the basic components of this apparatus, the main winding drum is indicated at 15 in eac-h of these two figures. As shown most clearly in FIG. 2, the drum carries on its rear surface a gear member 16 which is rigidly attached thereto. The shaft 17 for the drum is journaled in opposite Walls of the housing as shown in FIG. 2. Motive power for the apparatus of this invention is preferably supplied by an electric motor which is mounted below the deck with its shaft connected with the shaft 18 shown in FIGS. =1 and 2. It will be noted that the upper end of dli Patented dan. 30, 1962 this shaft carries la worm 19, which meshes with a worm wheel 20 mounted on `a shaft 21 journaled in opposite sides of the housing. This shaft also carries rigidly attached thereto a pinion |22 which is in mesh with the gear 16 of the winding drum. There is therefore a positive drive between the driven vertical shaft 18 and the main winding drum 15.

The shaft 21 also carries a sprocket 23 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 rigidly attached to the shaft and it is this sprocket which provides a positive drive for the chain 24. All of the remaining pulleys over which the sprocket chain is trained are idler members so that the sole source of drive for the chain is from the sprocket 23. The upper idler pulley 25 is mounted at the extremity of a pivoted arm which is spring biased as shown in FIG. 1 in a counterclockwise direction preferably by means of a flat leaf spring 27. The spring 27 is rigidly secured at its' lower end -to a movable block member 28. The arm .is pivotaily mounted as indicated at 29 on the block member. The purpose of the dat spring therefore .is to take the slack out of the chain member at all times, regardless of whether the anchor is being raised or lowered.

Referring now to FIG. 2, it will be seen that the block member 28, carrying the arm and flat spring, is adjustably mounted within the housing and its position may be changed by means of a screw 30 shown in FIG. 2. The purpose of this adjustment is merely to vary the basic tension in the chain under control of the leaf spring 27. This adjustmenthas little or no effect upon the total tractive effort which can be exerted by the windlass. The tractive effort adjustment will be described hereinafter.

The two forward idler rolls 31 and 32 are each housed within and carried by a cage member I3:3. By referring to FIG. 2, it will be noted that the shaft 34 for the upper n of the two forward idlers extends through the opposite side walls of the windlass housing. The entire cage therefore may pivot about this axis. The lower idler 32 of this pair is journaled on a shaft 35 which extends only through opposite sides of the cage member in order to permit the aforementioned pivotal movement. The forward end of the cage member threadedly receives an adjusting screw 36 on the outer end of which is mounted an enlarged knurled hand grip 37. Between the .threaded portion of the shank of this screw and the outer knur'led grip there is provided a collar 38, thediameter of which is greater than the diameter of the threaded portion of the shank. Referring now to FIG. 1, it will be seen that there is an arcuate slot itl formed in the side wall of the upper housing member. This slot is formed on a radius extending from the center of the shaft which supports the cage for a pivotal movement to the vcenter of the slot. The basic width of the arcuate slot is only slightly larger than the `diameter of the threaded portion of the adjusting screw in order that when the adjusting screw i-s partially withdrawn, the cage may be pivoted by manual movement of the adjusting screw -to any one of three desired positions. The three positions `shown in FIG. 1 lie at opposite ends of the slot with one position intermediate the outer two. At these points, the slot is enlarged to receive the collar portion 38 of the adjusting screw 36. It will be apparent therefore that in order to change the pivotal position of the cage member, it is necessary to withdraw the adjusting screw by yan amount sufficient to enable the collar portion to be outside and completely `withdrawn from the confines of the arcuate slot. The cage may then be positioned and the screw reinserted so that the collar portion is aligned with one of the three enlarged portions of the slot and tightening of the adjustment screw will then anchor the cage in this position. Obviously, more ythan three positions could be used and thrlee are shown in the drawings for illustrative purposes on y.

It will be seen from a consideration of FIG. 1 in conjunction with the foregoing description that the further the cage member 33 is positioned in a clockwise direction about its pivot shaft 34, the greater is the force which is exerted on the anchor line by the chain 24 when the Winch is used to retrieve an anchor. Conversely, the further counterclockwise the cage is positioned, the less force is applied between the chain and the line as it trains over the drum. This adjustment varies the amount of contact between the chain and the line. It is contemplated that for given sizes of line the arcuate slot may be calibrated in pounds in order that the operator may set the cage and therefore the maximum tractive eiort of the windlass to any desired predetermined amount.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the base plate casting is shown in a top plan view. The casting includes the exit port 13 for the line, and a second opening 42 through which the vertical power shaft 18 extends into the interior of the housing. Extending longitudinally of the base plate and in line with the entrance port at the forward end of the upper half of the housing there is provided a groove-like depression `43 with upstanding sidewall portions 44 through which the line is guided before it makes its turn around the winding drurn. At the rearward termination of this grooved portion of the base plate, there is an upstanding projection 45 which extends upwardly to a point where it lies between opposed anges of the drum member. This prevents the line in training around the drum from occupying positions substantially different from that shown in FIG. 1.

It has been found that the operation of these windlasses is improved by making a series of straight cuts around the base of the groove formed in the line engaging surface of the drum. This structure is indicated at S in FIG. 1.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that there is herein shown and described a new and useful windlass of a type which is ideally suited to installation on pleasure craft. While a preferred embodiment has been herein shown and described, applicant claims the benefit of a full range of equivalents within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An anchor line windlass comprising: a housing having line entry and exit ports therein, a drum member within said housing having its peripheral surface grooved to receive a line to be handled; Ameans for positively rotating said drum; an endless sprocket chain; means for supporting said chain within said housing in the plane of said drum including a plurality of idler pulleys and a positively driven sprocket all aligned with the drum, said chain being supported so that one ight overlies said drum and contacts the line thereon to exert a tractive force on the line as the `drum and chain are simultaneously positively driven.

2. A windlass as dened by claim 1 and including spring means for maintaining said chain under predetermined tension.

3. A windlass as defined by claim 1 in which said chain engages the line being handled over at least of the periphery of said drum.

4. A windlass as dened by claim 1 including means for varying the extent of engagement between the chain and the line being handled in order to vary the tractive eiort exertable on the line being handled.

5. An anchor line windlass comprising: a housing including entry and exit ports for a line to be handled; a drum 4member journaled within said housing having its peripheral surface formed to receive and engage a line to be handled; means for positively rotating said drum; a sprocket which is mounted Afor rotation within said housing in the same plane as said drum; an arm member pivotally mounted within said housing in the same plane as said drum; an idler roller mounted on the outer end of said arm; spring means engaging said arm and biasing said arm away from said drum; a cage member pivotally mounted within said housing, in the same plane with said -drum and said arm and positioned on the opposite side of said drum from said arm; a pair of idler rollers journaled within said cage; an endless chain extending around said sprocket and said idler rollers, with its lower flight positioned to engage the line being handled over greater than 180 of the drum periphery, and urging the line against said drum; means for adjusting the pivotal posi tion of said cage to vary the tractive force exertable on the line being handled by the chain and drum; and means for simultaneously, positively driving said drum and said chain.

6. A windlass as defined by claim 1 in which said entry port is positioned in the forward end of said housing in alignment with the grooved surface of said drum and at a point below the axis of the drum, and the exit port is located at the bottom of said housing on the opposite side of said drum from said entry port.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 438,529 Cox Oct. 14, 1890 620,589 Hoxie Mar. 7, 1899 639,409 Lamb Dec. 19, 1899 1,595,818 Bliss Aug. 10, 1926 2,048,754 Putnam July 28, 1936 2,369,089 Thomas Feb. 6, l1945 2,497,511 Neisler Feb. 14, 1950 2,516,383 Hays July 25, 1950 2,685,763 Courtney et al Aug. 10, 1954 2,819,789 Lang Jan. 14, 1958 2,852,252 Sperry Sept. 16, 1958 2,875,624 Lathrop et al Mar. 3, 1959 

